A Different Path
by toffeelola
Summary: What if Austin hadn't gone up to Sam during the football game and he went on to continue his life in a football career and Sam never went to Princeton, never found her father's will and is still working at the diner. It's five years later and Austin is back in town but when he sees Sam he realises that she really has moved on with her life. Rated T just to be safe :)
1. Chapter 1

Austin didn't know what he was doing. When he heard his father was in hospital he just got up and left from his football career. He didn't want to do it anymore, it was destroying him. Five years of it and he had received no fulfilment, he felt just as empty as the day that they had won the football match and he had watched as Sam just walked away.

The drive to his old home was a long and tiring one but he couldn't stop, he only had a few hours left. The road was empty, of course it was, it was just after midnight. He had started the journey as soon as he heard about his father, as much as he disliked the fact that he was living his father's dream and not his own he still loved the man.

He wondered if Sam still lived here. What was she doing? He turned on the radio to try and stimulate his brain and stop himself falling asleep at the wheel. Ironically the song Someone like you was playing.

_**I heard that you've settled down,**_

_**That you've found a girl,**_

_**And you're, married now,**_

_**I heard that you're dreams came true,**_

_**Guess she gave you things, I couldn't give to you,**_

Maybe Sam had found someone else, maybe she forgot about him. He sure hadn't forgot about her. He hit his hand on the steering wheel out of frustration. Why hadn't he gone up to her when he saw her leave, what was wrong with him?

_**Old friend, **_

_**Why are you so shy?**_

_**Aint like you to hold back,**_

_**Or hide, from the light**_

Austin couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the song, he'd had the spotlight focused on him for the last five years during his football career, the one he didn't even want. He never wanted to be a famous footballer, he just wanted to go to Princeton and become a writer.

_**I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited,**_

_**But I couldn't stay away,**_

_**I couldn't Hide it,**_

_**I'd hoped you see my face,**_

_**And that you'd be reminded that for me,**_

_**It isn't over,**_

The song started to hit home for Austin. He was still in love with Sam, he always had been, every girl since her just hadn't compared. She was the one for him, so why did he choose to just let her go?

_**Never mind I'll find, **_

_**Someone like you,**_

_**I wish nothing but the best,**_

_**For you too,**_

_**Don't forget me, I beg**_

_**I remember you said,**_

_**Sometimes it lasts in love,**_

_**But sometimes it hurts instead,**_

Austin thought about what Sam was doing now, had she gone to Princeton like she wanted to? He hoped she did, it was her dream. He wondered about the diner, was it still open? Maybe he could go there and see Rhonda, maybe she knew what Sam was doing these days.

_**You know how the time flies,**_

_**Only yesterday was the time of our lives,**_

_**We were born and raised in a, Summer haze,**_

_**Bound by the surprise of our glory days,**_

It had been a long five years since Austin had seen Sam. He remembered the night that they shared together, when they danced, she was beautiful and he couldn't believe that he didn't recognise her. He couldn't believe that he just let her go.

_**I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited,**_

_**But I couldn't stay away,**_

_**I couldn't Hide it,**_

_**I'd hoped you see my face,**_

_**And that you'd be reminded that for me,**_

_**It isn't over,**_

He turned the radio down and tried to focus on the road but the words still rung though his head, maybe Sam had moved on. Maybe he shouldn't go see her.

_**Never mind I'll find, **_

_**Someone like you,**_

_**I wish nothing but the best,**_

_**For you too,**_

_**Don't forget me, I beg**_

_**I remember you said,**_

_**Sometimes it lasts in love,**_

_**But sometimes it hurts instead,**_

Austin tried to think about his dad, to take his mind of Sam but it wasn't working. He cared about his father, that was why he had left his career and come here so quick. His father had a heart attack but was alright, he just couldn't help think of Sam. He hadn't emailed her in so long but she hadn't contacted him either. He remembered the look of pain on her face when she came to him in the locker rooms and wondered if she still had that look on her face.

_**Nothing compares, **_

_**No worries or cares,**_

_**Regrets and mistakes,**_

_**Are memories made,**_

_**Who would have known how,**_

_**Bittersweet this would taste,**_

He started humming along the tune of the song. He remembered when he was in school, the private conversations between him and Sam. How those conversations had been exposed in front of the whole school. She was beautiful but not recognised or cared for by nearly all of the school, especially Shelby. Shelby had hated Sam and Austin was glad when he ended her relationship with her.

_**Never mind I'll find, **_

_**Someone like you,**_

_**I wish nothing but the best,**_

_**For you too,**_

_**Don't forget me, I beg**_

_**I remember you said,**_

_**Sometimes it lasts in love,**_

_**But sometimes it hurts instead,**_

_**Sometimes it lasts in love,**_

_**But sometimes it hurts instead,**_

Austin turned off the radio after the song ended and continued to drive until he reached his destination.

/\

**Hope you all like it! Please review! Also, feel free to read my other fanfics **

**~Toffeelola~**


	2. Chapter 2

Austin walked into the hospital, he'd spent the night at his old home with his mother. He was going to visit his father. He felt butterflies in the pit of his stomach because he knew today would be the day he would tell his father that he quit his football career and he was going to go become a writer like he had always dreamt of doing. He walked into his father's room and saw he was awake and staring at the small TV screen, watching a game of football of course.

"Hey son", said his father whom Austin hugged and sat down next to.

"Dad, I have something to tell you", Austin said with a tone of seriousness.

"This doesn't sound too good", His father replied.

"Dad, I quit my football career, I can't do it anymore, I'm going to become a writer", Austin said, avoiding eye contact with his father.

"You trying to give me another heart attack?" His father joked but when he noticed that Austin was being serious he continued saying, "Look, this is everything you wanted, you've got a good career, I'm sure you've got girls throwing themselves at you, good money, why would you want to give that all up?"

"Because this is not what I wanted, this is what you wanted, I have to go now, there are some people that I need to see", Austin said, grabbing his things and leaving, not caring to hear his father's response, Austin knew he'd disappointed him.

He got into his car and he knew where he was going. The place that he'd often gone to when he was younger, the place filled with memories. The trip from the hospital to the diner was quick and as he pulled into the driveway a bittersweet emotion washed over him. He sighed and got out of the car. He walked in through the door and saw the owner of the diner, Fiona, he was hoping that Sam wasn't there. Mostly because he was hoping that she had gone to Princeton and moved on with her life.

"Oh, Hi Austin", Fiona said as she walked past him, Austin went and took a seat as Fiona exited the diner.

"What'll it be?" Asked a young brunette girl who was sixteen, maybe seventeen.

"Oh, I'll just have some water for now, thanks", Austin said nervously.

"Sure", The girl said as she left, Austin assumed that she was a new employee, so maybe Sam had achieved her dream even if he hadn't.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Rhonda, he knew he should have guessed she still worked here.

"Just, in town to see my father, he had a heart attack the other day", Austin said.

"So you decide you'll come and see if Sam's here?" She asked and Austin nodded, "You know, it's really not fair, what you did to her, I hate to say it but you really destroyed her."

"What do you mean?" Austin asked.

"Hey Rhonda, did you…" A female voice began to talk but trailed off when the owner of the voice noticed the young man sitting in the seats.

"Sam?" Austin asked, he recognised her voice and her face but she definitely wasn't the same person she was five years ago, he saw the gold ring on her finger and the tell-tale bulge in her abdomen.

"What do you want?" She said, obviously wanting to reminisce old memories.

"I'll just leave you two to sort this out", Rhonda said as she snuck away back into the kitchen.

"Sam, please, sit down I want to talk", Austin said so Sam took a seat.

"Austin you can't do this to me", She pleaded as she rested her arm on her belly, he assumed she was about five months along or close to it at least.

"Sam, I saw you leave at the football match, I should have gone up to see you, I shouldn't have kept playing", Austin said, "I know that this doesn't change anything because you've obviously moved on with your life but please just know I'm sorry."

"Yeah, now you're sorry, when you can see that I'm chained to a post so I'm not going anywhere, Austin, if you didn't like me why didn't you just say it to my face?" She asked and Austin thought about her phrasing, _Chained to a post,_ he wondered what that was supposed to mean.

"What do you mean?" He asked and Sam just rolled her eyes.

"Look, does it matter? We've both got lives to get on with okay, I can't have you coming back here and just making everything worse", She said as she got up from the table, Austin felt his heart break when he saw her reach up to wipe away a stray tear before heading off to the kitchen.

"Wait, Sam, I've just got one question, did you got Princeton at least?" He asked, she just shook her head and got on with what she was doing, ignoring him. He should have known he'd be too late, there was no way he had a chance with her now.

He exited the diner just as a man in a beat up old car who was smoking a cigarette pulled up. He looked to be about three or four years older than Austin, his car smelt like vodka and the man looked somewhat uneasy on his feet. Austin looked at the man warily before getting into his own car and driving off.

"I should have known", He said as he hit his hand against the wheel, "She's probably married to some rich, smart guy who gave her everything I couldn't, Gee, I was such a jerk."

Austin pulled over at the nearest gas station and immediately regretted it at the site of a familiar car. He got out of his vehicle and wanted to be as quick as possible but his plan failed when Shelby Cummings walked through the two sliding doors and noticed him.

"Oh Austin, it's been so long", She said as she threw her arms around his neck, Austin slowly removed them before replying.

"Obviously not long enough", He muttered to himself before turning his attention to Shelby, "Shelby, if you think I'm back in town to see you, I'm not, besides I thought you were going to New York?"

"Oh, no I heard about your father, I know you're in town to see him", Shelby answered inspecting her nails, "Doesn't mean we shouldn't pass up the opportunity and about New York well, I got sick of it after about two years so I moved back here and just in time to see Diner Girl getting married too, what are the chances, obviously she didn't like you as much as you thought, she really can pick them though, well, in high school she had good taste at least but now, I mean, I wouldn't even go within ten feet of him and she let him knock her up."

"You just don't stop do you?" Austin asked, interrupting her rambling.

"Excuse me?" Shelby replied.

"You still call her Diner Girl?" Austin nearly laughed at the fact that Shelby was obviously still caught up in their high school days.

"Well, she still works at a diner doesn't she?" Shelby retaliated quickly.

"You just can't move on from high school can you?" Austin told her before going in to pay, he thought briefly over what Shelby had said _'I wouldn't even go within ten feet of him and she let him knock her up.' _He had no idea what that statement was supposed to mean but it gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam saw her husband come into the diner and forced a smile. She wasn't in a good mood today, with Austin showing up in town and everything. Ted wrapped an arm around her and kissed her briefly on the lips. His black dreads rested on the back of his neck and his muscular arms held onto Sam securely.

"Hey babe", He said, "You ready to go?"

"Um, my shift doesn't finish for another hour", She told him with a worried expression, but it was a lie, her shift had ended an hour ago. Rhonda was in the kitchen, keeping a close eye on the two of them, she wasn't a big fan of Ted. She thought that maybe if Austin hadn't rejected her she would have had higher expectations for a husband, she knew Sam was under the impression that she didn't deserve better and that no other man would love her, that she wasn't worthy.

"I thought you told me you finish at five", He said through his teeth as his tattooed arms tensed around her, she winced a little at the pressure.

"Um, well, I-I think I can get off now", She said nervously as she went back behind the counter to grab her stuff.

"Good", he mumbled as they walked out, they walked towards his beat up old car and he practically threw her in her side of the car.

The cold night air nipped at her bare flesh, she had forgotten to grab her jacket out of the diner, she was just getting into the car when she saw a vehicle drive past, she saw the man behind the wheel. Austin.

Austin saw Sam as he drove past the diner, she was about to get into the car that smelled of alcohol that he had walked by seemingly minutes ago. He wondered who the man was but he didn't like the way he shoved Sam around like she was a rag doll. He pondered for a bit as to who the man might be, he didn't know him obviously, maybe he was just a friend. His hands clenched around the steering wheel. For a fleeting moment he thought that he might be her husband but he immediately rid himself of the thought, if he knew anything about Sam it was that she would never allow herself to marry someone like him.

Of course Austin didn't know Sam as well as he thought he did, but then again, Sam had changed over the course of the past five years, she wasn't the same person. She felt unworthy to have anyone better than Ted, she had brainwashed herself into believing that she loved him and he loved her and they would have a wonderful baby and a beautiful family. If the baby managed to survive the pregnancy that is.

Sam hurried inside to their small house, it had started storming again and she just wanted to cry. She felt so alone and she didn't remember exactly how she ended up this way, she wished that her father were still alive. She hated storms, she was terrified of them actually, they brought back memories of that fateful night when , natural disaster had taken away her father's life. Except Ted didn't care about how she felt, he never asked her how she was feeling, he didn't even care that she was carrying his child. She remembered the night they eloped, she was only nineteen, they had been going out for six months when he told her they should elope, of course she had forgotten that it was only twenty four hours after she told him she wouldn't sleep with him unless they were married. She never actually put two and two together and realise that he didn't really love her.

Austin didn't sleep overly well during the night, he pictured Sam and wondered, if he had gone up to her instead of playing on during the game if things would be different, maybe she would be carrying his child now and they'd be happily married. He still had all of the emails and text messages she'd sent him when they were younger, he'd tried emailing her since they graduated but they hadn't gone through, he assumed she got a new address and deleted the old one.

Meanwhile, Sam sat down on her couch, thinking about Austin. She wondered if things would be any different if he hadn't put his social standing before their relationship. She wondered if he cared, or even understood at all what he had done to her. She let a few tears slide down her cheeks as her husband walked past.

"What are ya cryin for?" He asked as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

"Nothing", Sam replied, avoiding eye contact, "Must just be hormones."

"God, women and their precious hormones, someone ought to give you a real reason to cry", He said as he came to sit next to her.

"No, i-it's nothing, p-please, I won't cry anymore, I promise", Sam said as she got up from her seat and he did the same and grabbed her by her arms and pushed her across the room, she wrapped her arms around her abdomen tightly to protect her baby as he encroached on her, leaving her pinned against the wall. Tears escaped from her eyelids and he punched her in her right eye, she whimpered slightly and he pulled back.

"Next time, don't cry, it'll only make things worse", He told her as she walked off into the bedroom where she did cry, silently to herself.

The next morning was a bit of a blur for Sam, she had the five o clock shift and Fiona didn't like it when she was late. She wished she had gone off to Princeton when she graduated but she hadn't been accepted, she still remembered when Fiona came to tell her the bad news, she'd already had a terrible day and the rejection letter was just the cherry on top. She wondered as to whether her life had actually gotten any better from that day, it seemed to only get worse.

Sam got into work, Rhonda wasn't working today, it was her day off, leaving Sam in management for the day. Kasey wouldn't come in until Midday, she was one of the new staff members, she was only sixteen but a nice girl, Sam would be able to handle the place until she came. Sam was so tired from the night before that she didn't even notice the bell ring signalling somebody had entered the premises and she definitely didn't notice who that somebody was.

"Sam?" A voice said and Sam raised her head off the counter, she usually slept during the first hour of her shift when she started at Five, simply because she never had anyone come during that time.

"What?" She asked in an annoyed tone and looked up only to see it was Austin there.

"Sam, what happened to your eye?" Austin asked and Sam gasped when she realised she had forgotten to put on any make up this morning, she rushed off to the bathroom to see the damage that had been done, "Sam?"

"D-don't worry, it's just a bruise it'll heal", Sam said as she came out of the bathroom.

"I already know that Sam, I want to know what caused the bruise", Austin demanded.

"Like you care, if all the pain you caused me was shown in bruises anyone would think I was an abused child, blue green and purple all over!" Sam retaliated, she was really just trying to buy herself time to think of an excuse for the bruise, it worked, Austin sat there stunned for quite a few moments so Sam conjured up her plan, "For what it's worth, if you're really want to know I got it after I walked into a pole."


	4. Chapter 4

Austin walked out of the hospital. He'd just been to see his father, who was still disappointed that his football career was ended so abruptly. He'd just been given a lecture as to why he should go back to his career but he told his dad he wanted to be a writer. Actually, his dream in high school was to go to Princeton with Sam and maybe have a family with her. He ruined his chances for that, the only way that could ever happen is if she got a divorce and he doubted that that would ever happen.

He was tempted to drive into the diner just to catch a glimpse of her but he felt he shouldn't, he'd already gone to see her twice in as many days since he arrived in town, she didn't need the stress. Not with a baby on the way. He thought about how she looked being pregnant, he was surprised to realise that the myth about pregnant women glowing was true. She looked so vibrant and abundant in life, he wondered if she would ever tell her kid about him. Was he completely out of her life? Had she erased him from her memories? The questions were killing him, he decided he had to go and talk to her, he turned the vehicle around and headed back to the diner.

He remembered when he went to see her yesterday, she'd had a nasty bruise on her eye. She said that she'd ran into a pole after she had a go at him for the way he treated her all those years ago. He pulled into the diner and sat there for a moment before exiting the car and entering the building.

"Not you again", Sam said as he walked through the doors, "I've got a job to do, what do I have to do to keep you away from here?"

"Relax Sam, I just want to talk, it's been five years since high school and I felt like we haven't had much chance to catch up", Austin said, praying she would relax for a moment before he continued, "What's gone on since I left?"

"You want to know now do you?" she said sarcastically but was surprised to see the serious look on Austin's face so continued, "Fine then, but you have to tell me your side of the story too."

"Agreed", Austin said as it began to rain outside.

"Well, the day at the pep rally, I found out that I didn't get into Princeton so I continued to work for Fiona at the diner here, a lot of the people from school went off to college, everyone except Shelby I believe, I haven't seen Carter for the past few years, he's been doing commercials and everything and when I was nineteen, that's when I met Ted, we went out for six months and then he suggested that we elope and so we did and now we've got a baby on the way, it was unexpected but doesn't mean I won't love him or her."

"You eloped, after six months?" Austin asked, surprised, he never imagined Sam being one to do something like that.

"And? What, you don't approve of my choices? Yeah well, suck it up because if I recall correctly you chose your status over me", Sam said and saw that it really hit a nerve with him, "Look, I'm sorry, it's just, I don't know, I'm constantly stressed and these damn hormones keep making my life unbelievably miserable."

"It's okay", Austin said, noticing she was obviously holding back tears, it broke his heart to see her like this, he thought maybe Rhonda was right, he had crushed her, she wasn't PrincetonGirl anymore.

"So, you going to tell me about your life for the past five years?" Sam asked as she rested her head on one of her hands and the other hand on her belly.

"Well, after the football I got offered a scholarship to USC for football by one of the scouts and for the next five years focused on football pretty much", Austin explained, noticing how boring his life sounded in comparison to hers.

"So you didn't go to Princeton?" Sam pondered.

"No, but I actually just quit my football career before I came here, I'm going to start writing soon", Austin explained when he noticed the car that he saw the other day pull up, he noticed that Sam saw it to and her body tensed a little.

"That's Ted", She said almost nervously and faked a smile as the man came in, "Hey honey."

"Hey, who's this?" He asked Sam and she introduced the two of them.

"Oh this is um, Austin, we went to high school together, we were just catching up", she said.

"Nice to meet you", Austin said, a little apprehensively, he was shocked that Sam had married a guy like him.

"You finished then? " He demanded.

"Um, I have to stay later, Rhonda, um called in sick today so I have to stay and, um, cover for her", Sam said nervously and saw the look of aggression on his face, "I'm not lying I swear, I'll be home shortly, I'll, um, catch the bus."

"I can take you", Austin offered.

"No, it's fine, she's coming home now", Ted said as he grabbed her arm and just about pulled her out of the diner.

Sam and Ted got into the car and Sam became really anxious afraid of what was to come, but it was just silence that ensued. There was no physical violence, verbal threats, just an eerily loud silence which began to drive Sam insane, he'd never done this before. She only came to one conclusion, he'd never been this angry before and he was still formulating a way to punish her, the time crept by ever so slowly and Sam was relieved when they pulled up to their small house and went inside.

"So, I saw you when I drove past talking to him, I come back half an hour later and you're still talking to him, I've seen him there quite a few times, you sure you weren't reminiscing old high school memories?" He said as he pushed her down on the couch and punched her in the face yet again before grabbing onto her wrists so tightly they felt like they were being crushed.

"No, we were just talking that's all", Sam said, trying to hold back her tears.

"Just talking? More like flirting", Ted yelled as he slapped her across the face.

"At least he treats me right!" Sam yelled back, immediately regretting what she said, "Honey, I'm sorry, I love you."

"Sorry aint gonna cut it! You think I don't treat you right? I'll show you mistreatment!" He said as he walked into the kitchen and pulled a knife, Sam saw this and got off her seat on the couch.

"W-what are you doing?" Sam said, trembling with fear.

"Like I said, I'm showing you what it's like to be mistreated", He said as he grabbed her arm and gave her a large cut, all she did was whimper as he did the same to the other arm, "Now, don't you ever cross me again or the next time It'll be your throat."


	5. Chapter 5

Sam didn't go to work the following day. Not that her husband knew, of course she knew he would probably find out anyway but she was scared now, she didn't know what to do. Her wrists were swollen and bruised and the cuts were hidden by her jacket, she'd tried to hide the now two bruises on her face with foundation but it could still be seen upon closer inspection.

She took out her phone and opened the email app. She had changed her email after the day of the pep rally but she still had Austin's, of course she didn't know whether or not he had changed his, she didn't know what to do so she started typing on the small device.

_Austin, it's Sam, I need your help, can we meet up?_

With a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach she pressed the send button and was glad to see when she didn't get an error message relaying the fact that Austin's email was invalid, so she assumed that he received the email, unless he didn't check his computer. Fortunately for Sam he did.

_Sure, where do you want to meet?_

She paused for a moment, trying to think of a place to meet. Naturally they could not meet at the diner for there would be too many prying eyes and ears of people she knew. She thought for a while and started to rethink her choices, was it wise to meet up with Austin? If Ted found out she was sure he would kill her and the baby but then again she had a bad feeling that he might end up doing that anyway.

_Um, there's a park a few blocks down from the diner._

_Sounds good to me. _

And with that Sam began the ten minute walk to the park, she was anxious about the meeting Austin. At what point she nearly turned around but something stopped her, she couldn't go back to him, she was so scared that he'd hurt their baby. Sam was so lost in her thoughts she barely recognised when she was at the park and surely didn't notice that Austin was already there, he'd driven with his car.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Austin said as he noticed tears starting to well in her eyes, as he walked closer he noticed that there was another bruise on her face, "Sam what's going on?"

"I-I can't do this anymore", She said, her voice breaking as she sat down on a park bench, Austin wasn't sure whether or not it would be appropriate to wrap his arms around her so he waited for her to continue.

"Do what?" He asked and she rolled up the sleeves on her jacket revealing two very swollen and bruised wrists, "Sam who did this? Sam?"

"Ted", Sam replied, so quietly it was almost inaudible but Austin heard it.

"I'm going to kill him", Austin said through gritted teeth.

"N-no, you c-can't, he's my husband Austin and I still love him, he's the father of my child!" Sam said, not realising what she was really saying.

"How can you love a man who treats you like this?" Austin asked her.

"Because, this is what I deserve, it was my fault anyway", She said, looking down at her feet.

"Sam, not only did he attack you but he did it while you were pregnant with his child, nobody deserves that", Austin said, trying to comfort her, "How long has this been going on now?"

"For a couple of years, when we got married for the first year or so it was good but then it started, it was only small things then but it got worse, Austin, I'm scared, he said he's going to kill me next time", She said.

"It's okay, we'll figure this out", Austin said, "If he kept hitting you, why did you stay with him?"

"Because he's the only man that's ever told me they love me", Sam replied and that's when it all clicked in Austin's mind, when Rhonda said that he destroyed her she wasn't joking, "Who else could love someone like me? This is who I belong with."

"No Sam, that's not true, there are plenty of people out there who love you", Austin tried to tell her.

"Like who? My father's dead, my mother's dead, I don't have any siblings, you tell me Austin", She said, tears falling down her face,

"I do", He said but immediately regretted it.

"Look, I have to go", Sam said as she got up to leave.

"No, Sam, you can't go back with him, please stay with me", Austin pleaded, if she died he would blame himself forever.

"I can't Austin, don't you understand, he's my husband for crying out loud", Sam said in annoyance.

"Why did you marry him Sam?" Austin asked out of curiosity, "Did you truly love him or did you feel like he was the only person who would ever love you."

"I don't know okay? All I remember is we had a huge fight one night then we were married the next, I don't know what was going through my head", Sam told Austin who wondered what the fight was about.

"Sam, what were you fighting about?" Austin asked.

"I told him I wanted to be a virgin until marriage", she said, only making Austin more infuriated.

"Goddammit! Sam don't you see?! He only married you so he could sleep with you!" Austin yelled and watched as more tears spilled out of her eyes.

"No, he said he loved me, he wouldn't do that, but hey, at least he had the guts to tell me he loved me, unlike you, you waited five years to tell me that!" Sam yelled as she began the slow walk out of the park, Austin realised something, that she was actually right and that he was going to have a good word or fist, with Ted.

He walked out of the park to his vehicle, he didn't know where her address was but he was sure one of her stepsisters did. He checked his phone to see he still had their numbers, of course he had not put the numbers in himself, they took his phone and gave them to him.

"Hello?" A young woman asked.

"Yes, Hi, it's Austin Ames here, I was just wondering if you had Sam's address", Austin asked politely and without hesitation it was given to him.


	6. Chapter 6

"What happened?" Rhonda asked when Sam walked in the diner before continuing, "It was Ted wasn't it?"

"Rhonda, I'm sorry you have to listen to me complain about him, but last night he just went too far", Sam explained, "I'm scared."

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Rhonda asked and Sam nodded her head.

"I spoke to Austin today, I don't think he was overly happy about it", she explained with her head hung low.

"You know, I don't know why you kept stopping me from giving him a taste of his own medicine", Rhonda said to Sam, "I knew Ted was no good."

"But what can I do Rhonda, I'm having his baby, I can't just get up and leave, not now", Sam explained as she wiped the bench, "Maybe one day, I can leave but not now."

"Sam, if you want to leave you can stay at my place", Rhonda said, "You don't have to stay with him another night."

"But Rhonda, if I get up and leave, I have to actually leave, like, change state", Sam says, "Or maybe even countries, I hear Australia's nice around this time of year."

"No, you shouldn't be the one to have to change, he should be the one, are you sure he even wants this kid?" Rhonda asked.

"I don't know, can we just, not talk about it anymore?" Sam begged and Rhonda nodded in confirmation.

/\

"I don't understand why you would care", Shelby said across the table to Austin, "She's become one of those leeches in society that nobody really cares for."

"Look Shelby, I agreed to come out and have coffee with you to get her address in return, not to get some lecture about how horrible Sam's life choices have been", Austin said in a stern voice.

"Well listen and listen closely", Shelby almost whispered as she leaned across the table, "Believe it or not Sam and I have become…companions, over the last few years, basically she needed somebody to lean on and I did so out of sympathy for the poor thing, she is a wreck and she really doesn't like you, at all. You're going to have to work your ass off to save her soul."

"Well, I'm willing to do that", Austin said almost nonchalantly.

"I'm not joking Austin, she's been hurt, she's been threatened, everyone knows Ted only married her to get in her pants", Shelby said with a tone of seriousness Austin had never heard before, "I wouldn't mess with him if I were you, the man has guns, yes gun-s, as in plural, as in more than one."

"I know what a plural is Shelby, I wanted to be a writer, remember?" Austin said through his teeth, frustrated at what had become of the woman he loved.

"Okay fine", Shelby said as she got up from her seat and slipped something in his hand, "This coffee's cold anyway."

/\

Austin looked at the house, it was small, probably too small for Sam to be able to support her baby. Austin had never imagined Sam living in a shabby hut-like house, the walls had graffiti, the paint on the front door was chipped and one of the windows was smashed.

He thought about what it would be like to raise a child in this neighbourhood, he thought about what Sam would be like as a mother. Ever since he found out she was the girl behind the mask he'd imagined the two of them living together, her having his kids, he never thought she'd end up with a man like Ted.

"Hello?" He asked as he knocked on the door, he should have assumed nobody was home when the car was missing but he decided to check just in case.

/\

Ted pulled up the front of the diner as he saw Shelby walk in, he'd had a thing for Shelby ever since Sam introduced her but Shelby didn't like him so he didn't bother. He looked at Sam and any emotion on her face dropped, he liked that he had such control over her.

"Come on babe, let's go", He said as he grabbed her wrist.

"Honey, my shift doesn't finish for a half hour", Sam told him.

"Well, why don't you ask Rhonda if she'll let you go early?" He said, very loudly.

"No", Rhonda said from the kitchen having overheard the two of them, "Sorry but she can't go, we're about to hit the busy part of the night and I need her here."

"Fine, you can find your own way home then", He said as rain started to pour, Sam knew this would be a long night as she grabbed a dish and began to dry it, Ted walked out the door.

"Thanks for that", She said with a slight smile, "I really can't face him, not now."

"No worries Sam but seriously, you need to sort this out", Rhonda said.

The next twenty minutes passed quickly, the customers had been reeling in. Sam had been waiting all of the tables and was beginning to get sore on her feet, she sighed in annoyance when she heard the bell above the door chime; another customer.

"What do you want?" She said as she stared at her pad, not looking up to see who the customer was.

"Well, I was coming here to see you but if you're taking orders I'll get some chips", Austin said with a smirk.

"Ha ha, very funny" Sam said, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Well, I try to be", Austin said with a slight blush, "Anyway, how are you?"

"I'm fine", Sam lied, Austin saw right through her deception.

"I'm serious Sam", Austin told her, trying to make eye contact, "If you ever need anything you'll let me know right?"

"I don't need anything from you but to leave me alone, if it wasn't for you then…" Sam trailed off sensing that her voice might break if she continued.

"Then what?" Austin asked, "I'm sorry Sam that I wasn't there, okay? I'm sorry you ended up with Ted, is that what you want, because I'm sorry."

"I never loved Ted", she said in almost a whisper, "I loved you, I deluded myself with him, thinking that maybe if I tried to love him I could forget about you and that stupid fantasy that we belonged, because sooner or later I'd have to face reality, I kept thinking, maybe if you weren't in my life I might have gone to college without going through those last few months at school, I could have been the quiet girl that people ignored, then I think, maybe if you were in my life more that we could have everything that I thought we would then I realise that I'm stuck with Ted and there's nothing I can do about it because I've got his child."

/\

**Ha ha! Hope you all love cliffhangers!**

**Sorry to cut you off again and sorry for taking so long to update, if you read Asleep then you'll know about my tons of assignments **** (sucks I know)**

**Anyway, hope you love it, I'm very happy with this chapter, please read and review!**

**~Toffeelola**


	7. Chapter 7

"Sam, listen to me and listen carefully", Austin said as he lifted her chin with his finger, he saw the tears in her eyes and wiped one away as it fell down her cheek, "Just because you're having his child doesn't mean you need to stay with him."

"Austin, I love you and you love me, we've established that but sometimes in life you don't get happy endings", Sam said as she took off her apron, "Rhonda, I'm off, I think I might just catch a bus into town and meet up with some friends."

"I can give you a lift, I have to go into town anyway to pick up my father now that he's being released from hospital", Austin offered.

"Okay", Sam said in a cautious tone, as though afraid her husband might see her catching a lift with Austin.

The two walked outside the diner and Austin opened the door to his car, a red mustang that had been well taken care of. Sam sighed as she sat down, she was too tired to be bothered to think about Ted.

"Ted's not going to be happy if he catches us", Sam explained as her seatbelt clicked into its buckle.

"Yeah, well if Ted lays another finger on you I'll pound his face in", Austin told her and she smiled, just a little, not quite reaching her eyes, "Why do you think so poorly of yourself to think you deserve someone like that."

"Well, I just, I don't know, my whole life I was just scum for everyone else and he said he loved me and I thought that if I believed him, well maybe I could forget about you and be in a relationship with somebody who loved me", Sam said.

"You deserve so much better", Austin muttered as his grip on the steering wheel.

"Yeah well maybe you should have thought of that before you ran off to play USC football and left me behind here! I never even got accepted into Princeton, I've been stuck here the whole time!" She yelled as she folded her arms.

"I'm sorry okay, I told you that already in the diner", Austin said as they stopped at a red light.

"I'm sorry", Sam said in a whisper, "I'm sorry for yelling at you and blaming everything that's gone wrong on you, I shouldn't have done that, it's just, I've been so emotional lately and…"

"Sam, I understand you wanting to blame it on me, heck, even I blame myself, I think that maybe if I had been a stronger person and gone to you the night of the game instead of walking away, maybe, just maybe…", He trailed off before continuing at a barely audible volume, "That would be my child."

"Austin, you deserve to be happy, I shouldn't be so selfish and blame all of this on you, you can still be happy if you want and hey, I'm having a baby, a perfect little person that I created so I'm not entirely unhappy", Sam said as she hugged her stomach and Austin parked the car, the two sat in the vehicle in a soothing silence before Sam spoke again, "Do you-do you want to feel it kick?"

"Um, okay?" Austin smiled slightly as she grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly, a small thump against the wall of her womb was directed towards his hand and the two of them smiled.

"Do you think may Sam, there's a chance we could be together", Austin asked and Sam looked away.

"What would I do? Ted would kill me, and I'm not joking", Sam told him and he nodded his head in understanding, "I'm scared, I do and don't want to go back to him, he can be a good man some times and he acts like he loves me and cares for our baby but other times…"

"Hey, it's okay you can tell me", Austin said as he wiped away her tears.

"The other night, for example, I started crying because of the hormones and he attacked me saying he wanted to give me a real reason to cry", Sam explained as she rested her head on Austin's shoulder and felt his muscles tense.

"Son of a.."

"Austin! But the thing is, I know he does love me somewhere deep down, he's never cheated on me and he's told me how much he loves me and he's the best I can do anyway, even if he does hit me and besides, once this child is born we can be a family and he won't be so aggressive", She explained.

"Do you really want to risk your child's life with him?" Austin asked with concern in his eyes.

"It's his child too", Sam replied as she rubbed her stomach and got out of the vehicle, "Anyway, thanks for the lift but I have to go now."

"Wait", Austin said as he proceeded towards her, "Do you have a place to stay, cause if you don't you can stay with me."

"No, I'll be fine, but if it makes you feel better, I'll text you when I get home", she smiled as she walked off into the city.

/\

Sam walked around the city centre, the sun had set hours ago and the shops were beginning to close. Her feet ached from having walked around for so long. She wasn't ready to go back and see her husband, not yet, but she knew she had to anyway so she sat quietly on the bus as it pulled up at its final stop for the night.

She walked slowly along the path that would eventually lead to her house. Her shoes hung from her fingers as her bare feet welcomed the coolness of the cement. She walked towards her house and noticed a car parked out the front. She hadn't seen the vehicle before but assumed it was probably just one of Ted's friends.

She walked in through the front door and didn't notice anybody in the house as she placed her coat up on its hook. She heard muffled noises coming from the bedroom and so walked slowly towards the slightly cracked door before she pushed it open further to reveal her husband passionately kissing another woman. Ted and the ditsy looking blonde both stopped and looked at her upon noticing her presence.

"Look, Sam, it's not what it looks like!" Ted pleaded.

"That what is it! Looks to me like you were just about to get into it with some random blonde girl", Sam yelled as the girl inspected her nails.

"Okay, so what if I do, it's none of your business, besides, who gave you the authority to speak to me like that", Ted said as he slapped her across her face, Sam winced slightly at the pain as tears fell down her cheek.

"I'm out of here, you can have her!" Same yelled as she began to storm out the front door before feeling a hand roughly grab her arm and pull her back.

"You're not going anywhere!" Ted yelled as he pushed her onto the couch.

"The hell I'm not, I thought you loved me, that was the only reason I was with you, clearly though you don't so I'm leaving, it's over Ted!" Sam replied as she walked out, this time being fast enough that Ted would not be able to grab her and pull her back again. p

/\

Austin turned on his bedside lamp as his phone began to ring, playing the default tune and waking him from his light nap.

"Hello?" He asked, his voice portraying the fact he had only just woken up.

"Hello? Austin? It's Sam…can you come pick me up?"

/\

**Hey everyone!**

**What do you all think? I thought it was pretty good, anyway please leave me reviews!**

**I will be updating Horseback Cinderella next and after that I'll be updating Asleep.**

**I'm also thinking about doing a fanfic for Raise Your Voice (Has anyone seen that movie) if I have time, let me know what you think if I do, but I'll have to see if I have time, aside from schoolwork and my orchestra, and I'm also writing an original novel which I will probably upload to Wattpad when I have a few more chapters.**

**Cheers!**

**~Toffeelola**


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